The White Wolf
by SierraLVX
Summary: When a Journalist named Alyster earns an ability they have to keep secret, their ordinary life in Montreal is thrown in the balance.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Come on Cassie, we're gonna be late for the expedition!" Alyster yelled from the hotel door. They had planned a trek through the caves in advance, wanting to see the emeralds, rubies and opals all encrusted in the cave walls. It would make for a really great exercise as well if they wanted to make it to what was called the porthole. It was a hole deep in the cave that led even deeper to the core of the earth. Alyster and their friend Cassie got what they needed for their adventure, just a small backpack with water, protein bars and bandaids for them both. Cassie swooped the backpack around her sturdy body and tied back her black hair into a messy bun. Alyster hung their pack over their broad shoulders and combed their short blonde hair out of their blue eyes. The both of them tied up their hiking shoes and walked out of the hotel room, checking if they had their key cards on them before the door closed. They called a cab as they walked out of the lobby and enjoyed the scenic ride to the mouth of the cave. Alyster noticed the beautiful fauna and flora and couldn't help but say "Can you believe we're here Cassie?"

"No, it's amazing! It was so worth planning this trip together, we've been so busy in the city! I hope you're not thinking too much about work" Cassie replied.

"Oh, I haven't thought of it for a minute!" Alyster said excitedly. "I would've gone crazy if I had to make another article about some political scandal!"

"Me too Aly." Cassie agreed, using the nickname she had given her friend years ago when they met working at Vice news. They both loved their job and had pretty influential roles in the office, but they were about to reach burnout with the amount of news they had to put up with. At least they had each other through the hard times. They had been friends for years, both having a real drive to find the truth and bring justice to every story. A big story for them had been covering the arrests of superheroes and meta-humans thanks to the United Nations' overstep of power. They had watch so many heroes get handcuffed and locked in prison just for trying to protect the earth from alien invaders. Just before they left, Halem, a guy named Larry who had gone into hiding was eventually caught. Cassie was going to write another scathing report about the UN's policy but it just got written up as an update. Their stodgy boss Carl had other ideas about what to put on the front pages and most of the time it was stuff that didn't matter. But it did matter to Alyster and Cassie. They saw the absolute injustice of it and how vulnerable it was making the world.

But for once, that was off their minds as they got out of the cab and into the visitor's centre right before the mouth of the cave. They paid their fare, got a safety briefing and helmets with lights fixed to the top. Then once a big enough crew was gathered, they got up, did their stretches and stepped into the darkness. "It smells like a swamp in here" Cassie mentioned, trying to ignore it and focus on the beauty of the cave around her.

"Yea, it's a a little musty, I think we'll get used to it though" Alyster replied, trying to downplay how much the smell was affecting them. They had gone down a tunnel that led them deep into the earth and were deep below sea level. The cave was absolutely stunning, with gems of all colours sparkling in the flashlights of the tourist group, and the cool air was a refreshing feeling after the heat of the island sun. They had gone on for so long and were so entranced by the beauty around them, they didn't realize how far they had gone. Two hours in, the tour guide stopped them and had them gather in a rounder section of the cave with a large hole in the side of the burrow. It looked like a jagged tear and steam was pouring out, making it feel like a sauna.

"This gash in the rocks is one of the closest known to the core of the earth" The tour guide pointed out. "The heat and magma along with water flowing in from rivers in the cave make steam bellow out naturally." he continued. "You may take a good look down, just make sure your cameras are strapped to your arms!" He joked.

"This is so cool!" Alyster piped. They knelt down beside the vat of steam and made sure to stabilize themselves so they wouldn't fall. Their thoughts became as empty as the pit before them, and they felt peace for the first time in a while. Alyster looked at Cassie and realized she felt the same. They both finally got what they were looking for, a calmness in the craziness. The other tourists filtered around them, some of the group not even brave enough to go near the crack! Slowly, but suddenly, Alyster felt a voice creep into their mind, one that wasn't theirs. Something was replacing the quiet they had achieved and it was a deep, robotic voice didn't seem to be coming from anywhere in the cave. Looking down into the crevasse, they saw a blue light emerge from the depths and zoom towards the opening. In a flash, it hit Alyster's chest with only enough force to make them stand up, and the dark voice said "You are a hopeful inheritor. Enjoy your strength" Looking around, no one seemed to notice.

Cassie just got up and asked "You had enough of the bottomless pit too?"

"Yea, I'm good, I guess" Was all Alyster could muster. They couldn't find the words to describe what had just happened and so didn't say anything to Cassie. It probably was something that wouldn't amount to anything anyway.

The tour guide said time was up on the sightseeing and told everyone to have a snack, some water, and get in front of him again. They prepared for the long trek back up to the outside world, and Alyster worried they would run out of energy before they got halfway through. They knew Cassie would be good though, being an athletic girl. 'Just put one foot in front of the other' Alyster told themselves. Surprisingly though, they had no problem clambering back up the cave. They realized they could pull more of their own weight, they didn't run out of breath at all and could even help a heavier man up one of the rocky clefs. It ended up getting to their head and they tried running through a flatter section, but scraped their thigh against the wall of the cave. Throwing off their backpack, they grabbed a piece of paper to clean their wound and a band-aid to cover it, but as they wiped the blood off their leg, the cut was gone! It had just disappeared, but out of routine they put the bandage on anyway. It was just another thirty minutes until they would reach the mouth of the cave, and it went by like a breeze! It was like a whole new burst of energy and strength! Maybe that blue energy did do something to them after all! Skipping down the hill back to the visitor's centre, they gave back their helmets and had a break in the foyer. Eating the rest of their snacks, Cassie and Alyster looked over the photos they took and listened vaguely to the Seinfeld rerun playing on tv. They had gotten to their photos of the crevasse, and Alyster thought to tell Cassie of their mysterious strength. "Listen, Cassie, I know this is gonna sound weird but-" suddenly the opening to The National blared on TV. Both of their attention turned to the screen right away, an instinct of their job, and focused on the report. They went through all their headlines, and then flipped straight to a story from Montreal.

"This just in, an Alien known as Lord Doomer had landed into the atmosphere in the Mile End of Montreal. It was seeking to purge our planet of all life for it to inhabit our earth instead of us. Thanks to the heroes known as Galactic Justice, the world has been saved!" The news anchor continued with the details of all the heroes, some who had died and were unidentifiable, but some had survived. It was harrowing battle that was almost lost! Alyster and Cassie looked at each other in disappointment.

"Guess we might have to cut our trip early, huh?" Cassie pondered.

"Maybe, but we still have a few days of vacation left! Let's use them wisely now! When we go back, we'll be facing a whole new debate!" Alyster countered.

"You're right Aly. Look at me, wanting to hit the presses as soon as anything dramatic happens! God, I'll never stop thinking like a reporter, huh?" Cassie remarked.

"It's okay girl, it shows the strong work ethic I've always liked about you!" Alyster said "And also the reporter thing is never gonna go away for you." They both smirked at each other and as they got up, embraced each other strongly. Their world was almost taken from them and they didn't even know it. Grabbing their bags, they grabbed a cab back to the hotel and took a good nap before grabbing dinner. They tried their best to enjoy the rest of their trip, but Alyster couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that they were changing in the weirdest way. Not only were they becoming stronger on the inside, but it was showing on the outside. Their arms were more defined, their old scars suddenly disappeared, and their hunger no longer bothered them. It was unnerving and they just couldn't think of a way to describe it to Cassie, so they never did. Before they knew it they were going back home and they had to get back to work the next week. When Alyster got home it was only noon so going to bed wasn't the best idea. In fact, they weren't even tired. Making lunch quickly, they had a thought about where to test their new abilities. Leaving with just their necessities in their pocket, they hopped in the metro and went all the way to Viau. The Olympic Park was practically empty in the chill months of fall, and it was a perfect place for Alyster to outdo what they were able to do in he caves. Instead of taking the regular paths, they started freerunning up the ledge of the old stadium, walking on the ledges of the pavilions, balancing on the rails and jumping over gaps in the concrete. They came to a ledge right above the Pie-IX stop that was about ten feet tall and made the landing no problem. Not even feeling out of breath, they decided to walk down to Joliette and then went back home after getting out all their pent-up energy. It was exhilarating the changes that they were going through! It felt like a well of strength inside them that wouldn't dry up! Going back to work at their desk would be an absolute drag.

Monday Morning:

"Alyster, Cassie! Great to see you're back!" Carl exclaimed. "Hope I don't have to brief you guys on what you missed, it'll take too long." The newsroom was all abuzz with everyone getting their stories done, and everyone was focussed on their work.

"It's ok, we saw the news" Cassie answered. "What do you want me to do about the UN's reaction?

"What reaction?" Carl said.

"The first message they gave, that everything was fine? It was very poorly timed and people could've been evacuated to safety if it weren't for their late warning." She said back.

"Yea, I guess you're right. Ok, you can spend 30 minutes on that, and for you Alyster, I want you to write up a report on the resistance to the UN's heroes Policy." Carl demanded, fixing his glasses that were sliding down his sharp nose and pulled a blue stress ball out of his khakis.

"Sure thing Carl!" Alyster replied

"Ok, thanks girls-I mean, sorry Alyster, just-thank you both." Carl stammered, his tie spinning around his short body as he turned around sharply.

"Still hasn't gotten the hang of your pronouns, huh?" Cassie said dully.

"It's fine, you know I've really got no preference." Alyster countered as they sat down at their desk. "Besides, he's known me back when I was feminine so it's fair for him to do that."

"Yea, but it's been two years since you've become non-binary, it's not like it's anything new to him! Come on Aly, stand up for yourself!" Cassie encouraged.

"It's okay Cassie, it was just a flub! And you should get to writing, you've got twenty-eight minutes left now!" Alyster said with a smile.

"Oh for the love of-" Cassie sputtered, grabbing a note pad and launching her computer up. Alyster took a deep breath and turned on their desktop as well, going straight to youtube to find different reactions to the stubborn policy that was still in place. Many people were starting to sympathize with the heroes, and there was even a vibrant yet solemn parade for those that fought against Lord Doomer. It was a beautiful tribute and it showed that people's minds were finally changing. But the UN never conceded. The Secretary General, Warren Veidt, had a vendetta against all types of meta-humans, demigods, and just do-gooders with powers. Some people had said they had gone through life-threatening experiences and were able to expel ice or fire from their hands or even fly! Those were the most sorry cases, people put through the system without a fair trial and locked in maximum security prisons. There needed to be something done about this injustice, but all anyone could do in the office was get their frustrations out on paper. Luckily, no one had figured out where the surviving heroes had gone after the Doominoids left, but it couldn't be long until they were found again. Until then, all Alyster had was their work. That and their mysterious strength.

A Week Later:

"Why am I so tired?" Cassie complained. "I wish we could go on another vacation right now!"

"Ha! Where has your vigour gone, my graceful steed? Was it lost in Grand Cayman with the sea?" Alyster joked along. They wished they could relate to their friend, but after being hit with that blue energy, not much had tired them.

"Really Aly? You think all my whims are gone with the waves? You are the steed my friend, and I am the stallion!" Cassie boasted, laughing for the whole lunchroom to hear.

"Oh are you now? I am no mere steed, I am a…a….I can't think of a comeback, you win." They surrendered, making an innocent face. No matter how strong they were becoming, wits didn't come with the package apparently. Not to mention that voice they heard in their head hadn't appeared again to Alyster's comfort.

"I win!" Cassie said for almost the entire office to hear.

Just then Carl walked in, muttering something under his breath until he said audibly "Alyster, there you are! Have you got any leads on where those three heroes had gone to?" Carl inquired.

"No, I would've told you if I had something!" Alyster replied.

"Oh, right." Carl said, sitting beside the two friends with his lunch. "I heard there's been a big crackdown on those even cosplaying as them!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Cassie said through a mouthful of noodles.

"No, it's just getting ridiculous now!" Carl lamented. In a softer tone, he added "You know, I'm starting to understand your opinions now. These guys saved us and lost their friends in the process, and how do we repay them? By making them run in fear!? I just want to storm into the UN and demand an explanation as to what makes them think this is right!"

"Wow, you really do understand us!" Alyster said, shocked at his sudden sympathy.

"Now do you get why we're so tired?" Cassie added.

"Yea, I do. How about you two make an editorial on the disarray this policy has caused? Along with that, put out a warning." Carl suggested.

"For what?" Alyster asked.

"There's been reports of even more alien activity that is signalling their intent to come here just like Lord Doomer did. It's not the same species though, it's some robot race that has been identified only once before. Just write down that people should keep an eye up in the sky." Carl explained.

"Yikes, we certainly will!" Cassie promised. Carl got up to talk to the others in the lunchroom, but Alyster couldn't get two of his words out of their head. Robot race? Could it be who spoke to them all those months ago? And what where they thinking of doing with earth? Alyster had so many questions about the supposed threat, but was startled out of it by their friend trying to get their attention. "Alyster? I asked you what you what do you think?"

"Think about what?" Alyster stammered.

"About what exact points we should cover in our editorial! We've had so many notes on this topic, but where should we start?" Cassie said, frustrated.

"Oh, um, why don't we start at Secretary General Veidt's plans? He seems to be pretty sure that the earth is just fine without heroes, but some things just don't add up!" Alyster improvised.

"Ok, that would be a strong hook for the article." Cassie agreed. "Are you ok though, it was like you weren't here for a second! I don't want you to shut down like you did last time."

"I was ok, just deep in thought there. I told you I'd actually reach for your hand if that happened again!" Alyster reassured her. There were a couple times when the stress of getting articles done would stress out the both of them so bad, they wouldn't say anything. Just sit in one place, stoic and unfocused. They promised each other that when they had those episodes, they would reach out for help physically. They had been there for each other through so many stressful times and had depended on each other for so long. They didn't know what they would do without each other.

"Ok, Aly. Now finish up your soup, we need to get writing!" Cassie cheered.


	2. Chapter 2

One Year Later:

The wind brushed Alyster's hair sharply as they stood in the winter sun. Clothed in their white jeans and jacket, they were safe from the cold and blended in with the snow. They looked forward and whispered to themselves, "Alright, you can do this." Taking a deep breath, they launched themselves up the wall of the abandoned mill, their arms pulling them over the side of the bars. They clasped to the set of stairs ten feet off the ground and ran up them to the roof. They were able to see the Bota restaurant through the trees, and turning around, the silos looked so tempting to climb. They leapt up to the first one, running across all four until the fifth one that went up the tower of the old factory. With a little more energy, they leapt up, grabbed the bottom bar of the silo and pulled themselves up to the top. They scaled the next two floors of the tower by grabbing at the window ledges and clambered up the tower to the highest point of the factory. Stopping to enjoy the view, they were about to make the leap over the gap until an old drone crept inside their head. It was that voice again, a deep rumble that Alyster felt over their whole body.

"I'm glad you've been enjoying your strength. You will truly need it in the months to come. Keep an eye up in the sky for your master will come soon"

"My…what?!" Alyster gasped. The voice didn't reply. Their eyes turned wide and their breathing got shorter. They collapsed on the snowy roof and so many questions were burning their brain, but they knew there wasn't an answer for any of them. For so long they got used to having this power and were just testing out their limits to see if it would amount to anything, something worth telling Cassie about.

Cassie. Thinking of her calmed Alyster right down, and they got back up on their feet. Although they knew not what these abilities were for, they might as well enjoy them while they have them! Backing up to the ledge they just got up, they charged towards the other side, launching off with both legs and flying over the walkway. Landing onto the separate building, they rolled forward through the snow and tried standing up, but slid as soon as they tried! Bailing on their side, they laughed at themselves as they laid on the roof. Not everything went perfectly! Freerunning the rest of the factory was a breeze, and they made it to the entrance of the Lachine Canal without being caught. Blending into the snow was definitely a good tactic. Vice News was only a bus ride away and they needed to finish up a few articles before the week was up. Walking into the office and shaking off their boots at the door, they plunked down at their desk and looked at all their columns that were going to go on the website that weekend. Getting their edits done quickly, they had some time before they needed to go back home so they popped up facebook and checked their messages. The first thing on the timeline caught their attention though. A time hop from a year ago about the article on the missing heroes. Being another front page article they were proud of, they posted it for everyone to see. But this time, something else caught their eye. A warning they put out to keep everyone alert for another invasion. One of the burning questions Alyster had was just answered. The voice warned them of a coming challenge, and the earth was long overdue for another attack. Could something, someone, be right outside the atmosphere waiting for the right moment? The uncertainty gave them even more anxiety, and they wished Cassie was sitting at her desk, but it was late at night and everyone else was leaving for the night. Alyster knew they needed to stop worrying over things that would never happen, and that these thoughts would keep them up all night. Stepping outside into the snow once more, the cold made them shiver all over. This winter could not be over sooner.

Six Months Later:

By ten in the morning, Cassie was at her desk halfway through an e-mail and whittling away at a report. Alyster had just woken up. "Ugghh, what time is it?" They moaned. Switching their phone on, they freaked out when they saw the time and jumped out of bed! They changed, grabbed their things, and grabbed a granola bar for breakfast. Sitting in the metro, they could finally calm down and just wait to see if Carl would scold them for being late. Oh well, what could they do? Walking out of the Lucien-L'Allier stop, they ran through the hot sun until they made it to the front door of the office. The second they walked in they noticed something very different. Instead of everyone being at their desks, they were huddled around the tv wall, and every broadcast was coming from the city, cameras pointed at the sky. Nearing the crowd, Cassie was at the edge and when she turned to see Alyster, the relief showed on her face.

"Aly, you're ok!" She cried, hugging her friend tightly.

"Yea, of course I am, what's going on?" They asked.

"There's been some disturbance in the atmosphere by this red, black ship. No one knows what it is, but the UN's saying it's nothing again! Can't trust those fools at all these days!" Cassie told them, still holding Alyster's arm at their side.

"Has the National Defence said anything then?" Alyster asked.

"Not so far. They're probably as clueless as we are" Cassie inferred.

"Would they be though? They've been tracking this thing for a year, haven't they?" Alyster recalled.

"What are you talking about?" Their friend inquired. Turning away from the tv, Alyster brought her over to their desk, and showed the post that had been time hopped. The front page warned of a second attack, but everyone had forgotten about it after so long. "Oh, I can't believe I didn't think of that! It's been a while though, are you sure it's the same thing?"

"I can't be sure of that at all, but we should put out another warning. Where's Carl?" Alyster asked.

"Over here! What do you need me for?" Carl came bounding over, squeezing his stress ball tighter than ever. Alyster kind've wished they had one right now.

"We need to put another alert out, this is getting dangerous." Cassie said.

"Yea, no one else is and this could end worst than last time if there are no heroes willing to defend us again." Alyster joined.

Just then, another voice piped from the crowd of people around the tv. "What are you talking about, they were good for nothing!" It was Dustin, who looked like he had been a bit late too, with his curls messier than usual and lacking a bowtie with his blue shirt. He really liked his bowties.

"Dustin, not now, this is serious!" Cassie jabbed.

"Oh yea, and so is the reputation of this website! I am not sending out that alert for you guys, it'll just cause panic and it'll be a waste of our resources!" Dustin countered, being the coder for the office, he had some authority on wether an alert would be put out.

"Well, what if something serious does happen? We need to consider that this might turn into an emergency!" Alyster said, raising their voice.

"Guys, would you stop arguing!" Carl butted in. "Dustin, just put out a preliminary alert, I don't care what you think any heroes are going to do right now! Alyster, Cassie, why don't you two keep an eye on this story. If anything happens in the city, I'll send you guys out with a crew to cover this from the ground ok. Am I clear?"

"Ok, I'll do it! But don't think for a second this will be some kind of bat signal that will call those lowlifes to action!" Dustin yielded, leaving the group.

Cassie breathed a sigh of relief, saying "Thanks Carl, this really helps!"

"Yea, whatever, just be careful when you guys get out there, it could get really sketchy." Carl said curtly.

With the looming threat over their heads, them and everyone else in the office tried to get their regular work done. Just some articles about parliament and how local politics was getting along. After being able to put up a few headlines and check the other news sites, their attention turned to the screens once again. Something looked different this time, as the ship was much clearer on the news. It was getting closer and closer, almost teasing it's entrance into the atmosphere! Then suddenly, from the nose of the ship came a beam that landed in the city, and all the news hosts on air started to sound panicky. One guy named BillyBob was especially freaking out. Just then, a buzz took over their body and it rumbled their body so hard it made them shake. The invasive voice spoke even louder than before "My mission is almost complete. I need your help now my novice. Come to me alone." Just as the voice quieted, they heard Carl running over to them.

"Philip, Chris, get the recording gear! You're going with Alyster and Cassie to the Rosemont stop, now!" He hollered at the crew. They were pretty much ready to go, but it had come so soon and no one was ready.

"Why are we going to Rosemont?" Cassie called over the disorder.

"They targeted a beam or something in the Mile End!" Carl answered. "Just go, we need you there asap!"

Grabbing their things, they rushed back over to Lucien, and luckily a bus came as soon as they got to the platform. Getting through all the stations, Alyster couldn't help but worry they were making a mistake. The voice told them to come alone, but here they were with their co-workers and their best friend. Something just didn't feel right. They made it to the meadow just in time for the beam to cease, and before they expected a portal to appear, six odd-looking figures stood in the clearing. Three caped figures, two in white and a robot with a cloak! They were talking amongst each other but the crew was too far away to hear what the were saying. Chris set up his camera and Philip started recording on his mic as Cassie took notes on her phone and Alyster was prepared to start reporting. Once they were all ready, Chris counted to three on his fingers and hit record. "This is Alyster McCrae reporting for Vice News. We are in the mile end of Montreal and an alien craft has just beamed something down to the empty lot behind me here, and we don't know what to expect, so we are keeping our distance. There is a group here who is obviously not doing that however, they seem to know more than we do!" The camera focused on the figures in the distance and waited for something to happen. Alyster's job was done for the most part and Cassie was writing down descriptions of the individuals.

"One wearing purple and black, another white and blue, one all black with a something on fire in his hands, a guy wearing a tie, another all white and an android?" She mumbled to herself as she wrote her notes. Abruptly, a light shone in the alleyway as a hole opened up in space! Three little robots with red claws and giant helmets tumbled out and then even more came, spreading out everywhere! Then out of the edge of the portal, a ten-foot tall alien stood above the little minions.

With a voice that resounded through the entire meadow, it asked "Is that all?" and the rest was inaudible, but that was Alyster needed to hear. With a shock, they recognized the voice they had been hearing all this time. It was this foreign invader with a thousand minions at his disposal. His voice bellowed across the alleyway once more, yelling "Destroy them!" At that moment they thought it was all over, but those six figures started fighting back! They fought off the little guys and dispersed them all over the meadow, and for a moment the whole crew was relieved to see they were people fighting back for them! But then their mood quickly changed when they realized the robots were coming right for them and looked way more intimidating up close.

"Run!" Alyster screamed. Cassie ran straight to their side, and Philip and Chris frantically tried to gather their gear. "Just leave it, it doesn't matter!" they shouted. The techies managed to run ahead of the two friends back over the railroad tracks to the metro, but then the androids cut Alyster and Cassie off from following them. Alyster saw their co-workers were waiting for them, but they couldn't just stand there! "Go ahead you two, we'll find a different way!" They nodded and ran off to safety, but the two friends needed to dart over to the edge of the meadow. They managed to get to the road and Cassie needed to stop to catch her breath. Alyster could've kept going, but they had to protect their friend. "Are you ok girl?" Alyster asked.

"Yea, I just didn't know it'd be this dangerous! Those little things look so deadly, what if we-we don't make it?" Cassie mustered between breaths.

"It's ok, we'll make it!" Alyster assured her "Listen, there's something that happened to me a while back that'll help"

"What are you talking about?" Cassie looked so confused and tired. This was the time for Alyster to tell her friend of their abilities, but they had no time at all. Before they could say a word, the little killers rounded the corner and gave chase. They went around the corner of an abandoned building and through an alleyway full of garbage. Alyster let Cassie run ahead to keep her in sight, and they were almost out on the street but the lead robot shot a fireball towards them and hit a silo with a caution sign on it. It exploded across the entire alleyway with a ribbon of hot, blue, fire. Alyster was caught with the robots and Cassie was on the street. "Alyster?! Are you ok?" Cassie yelled through the roaring flames.

"I'm fine, just go!" Alyster screamed. They knew they could punch their way out of this, but Cassie didn't want to leave them.

"No, Aly, not without you! Just dart through, you'll be fine!" Cassie yelled back.

"Ok, I'll do it!" They knew they were fast enough, and with Cassie's encouragement, it was worth it. Going back as far as they could, they launched themselves through the flames and were almost out, but landed in the middle with a thud. They looked back and one of the droids caught their leg in its claws, and Alyster was left lying in the flames, their body writhing with more pain than they had ever felt. They were healing through it though, and just before they couldn't take any more, Cassie pulled them out of the minion's grip and through the flames with no burns at all.

"How the hell did you survive that?!" Cassie groaned.

"I think I got superpowers from that alien, ok?!" Alyster finally blurted.

"WHAT?! You've got powers, since when?!" Cassie roared.

"Since we went to the porthole, remember? In Grand Cayman? There was this voice that spoke to me and some blue thing hit me in the chest!" They admitted.

"Why didn't you tell me this?! You're my friend!" She countered.

"It didn't matter, ok! Let's just get out of this alive!" Alyster picked themselves up and grabbed their friend's hand. They felt so bad that they couldn't have just brought this up sooner, but it literally never came up till now! Running up the street hoping to make it to Laurier, they passed by the meadow and the alleyway again, but it didn't look good. All six of the heroes that had risen to defend earth were slain on the ground, the alien leader looking over their bodies and laughing in triumph. "No. This can't be happening." Alyster shuddered as Cassie was pulling her over to street.

"Come on, we need to get out of here!" She demanded. But before they could move, the behemoth turned to them, growling.

"Where do you think you're going, Alyster?"

Cassie was appalled! "How does it know your name?!" She urged.

"It's been speaking to me ever since our trip. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, I didn't know what it was!" Alyster replied.

"You could've just said you've been hearing things, I would've believed you!" Cassie cried.

"I told you, I didn't know what it was!" Alyster growled. They felt heat swarming in their heart, something defensive building up in their gut. It wasn't their usual strength. Looking up, they saw the foreign invader up close, it towering above them and every step made the earth shake beneath them. Alyster stood in front of Cassie, ready to defend her and felt that heat flow to their fingertips.

"Great to see you face-to-face, my young novice. I see you've been enjoying your new abilities"

"Yea, and I would enjoy knowing who you are!" Alyster rebutted.

"I'm Dark Red, didn't you know? I gave you your powers long ago so that you would be my envoy to the Blue Core!" Dark Red revealed.

"The-what?!" They choked.

"The Core that gave you strength! When I was able to detect it, I realized it had unlimited power and I needed someone here to hold some for me." Dark Red declared, coming closer to the two.

"Why did you need them though?" Cassie said over their shoulder. Her reporter instincts were kicking in again.

"Because you lived such an empty life" Dark Red replied. "I looked into your head and saw nothing there."

"That was because I actually had a chance to feel at peace, and now you want to take it all away?!" Alyster corrected him.

"No, not exactly. I just need this earth's resources and you humans gone! Except for you, Alyster. I have use of you still." The alien requested. "Now I told you to come alone, so who's this?"

"She's my friend, and if you lay a finger on her, I'll-" They were cut off.

"I'm sorry, I'm not your master." Dark Red interrupted, leaning over Alyster and picking Cassie up by the chest. "I am your master, and if I say no accomplices, I mean it!" Dark Red was holding her up a foot off the ground and the droids surrounded them. There was no escape.

"Aly, HELP ME!" Cassie shrieked, so terrified tears were streaming from her eyes. She tried pulling at the robot's hand, but it did nothing.

"Don't hurt her please!" Alyster pleaded, their hands glowing blue. Dark Red just smiled and raised his claw to her chest, swooping towards her. He was about to make the blow when Alyster yelled "Let HER GO!" They raised their hand up and leapt to stop his scythe when their hands suddenly burst bright blue and when they punched forward, the orbs thrust forward and into Dark's chest. He stopped in his tracks, just as surprised as Alyster was. Crouching at his feet, they raised their head to look him straight in the eyes. Their hair was pure white and their eyes, wide and surprised, glowed a bright blue. They jumped up, threw all of their energy towards his chin, striking him back. He still held Cassie with a tight grip, and tried stabbing her again but Alyster knocked him back. He stopped in his tracks, realizing it would take more to get what he wanted.

"My minions, hold them back!" Dark Red directed. The droids clasped their arms and their legs, making them immobile.

"No, NO! Please, don't, I'll do anything, just don't hurt her!" Alyster begged,

"I don't deal with humans, you amateur! Let me make this clear to you" Dark Red growled. He raised his scythe and stabbed her in her chest. Cassie could only let out a whimper as he dropped her to the ground.

"AGGGGGHHH!" Alyster howled with such ferocity that hot blue flames burst out of their mouth, spewing onto his armoured chest. Knocking him out, Alyster ran to Cassie who only had seconds left. "Cass, I'm so sorry you didn't deserve to go like this, I-"

"Aly, don't worry" She gasped. "You are so strong now." She looked at her friend with nothing but love, and managed to finally say "Keep fighting….for justice…..keep fighting."

"I will. I will. I love you Cassie." Alyster said, their eyes welling up with tears as their best friend drew their last breath. Their hair turned blonde again and their eyes a bluish-grey and all Alyster could do was lie on the ground, bawling and howling in pain. For ten long minutes, they laid by their friends side, wishing they could've done something different, maybe they could've figured out a way to give her some of their strength, Maybe they could've said no to Carl's request for them to go out. Oh god, Alyster would have to return to work all on their own, but then they remembered they couldn't. Looking at their hands, they focused that energy in their hands again and a small, sustained flame flickered on their fingers. They had a new power. A real one that if they were caught using, they would be arrested. Just then, Dark Red had woken up and walked towards Alyster. He had upturned their entire life! "You, you MONSTER!" They yelled through their tears. "You've taken everything from me!"

"Well then, let me give you something back. You will be my envoy to the Blue Core, and help me in defeating anyone that gets in my way." Dark Red offered. He stretched out his hand and said "I will give you back everything in due time."

Alyster looked up, the tears finally ceasing to soak their black shirt. Getting up, they dusted the dirt off their black jeans and looked up at Dark with the faintest glimmer of hope. He had made them as empty as when they stared down the porthole, but instead of peace in their mind, it was chaos. The kind of chaos that made them take his hand and say "I…I will be your servant"


	3. Chapter 3

"You have made the right decision, my servant. Having a human as powerful as you by my side will make my mission much easier to accomplish." Dark Red assured Alyster. Their heart was heavy and they felt they had no reason to fight as Red pulled them to his side, leading them to the portal he created. With one step they left the ground and went into space, hundreds of kilometres above in his ship.

The control room was manned by only one of his droids that greeted us by saying "Welcome back master, I see you had a bit of a hiccup there." It's voice squealed at Red. "Not to worry, we have the coordinates for the closest path to the blue core although we may have one little problem"

"What is it?!" Dark Red roared at its subordinate.

"Well, sir our ship it not outfitted to land on earth and the teleport mechanism had a malfunction, so we have to keep this portal open to the surface otherwise we won't have an easy way of getting back." The minion explained. The more it talked, the cuter Alyster found the little robot. Maybe one of them would make a good friend, they thought.

"Well how far away is the path to the Core?" The leader asked.

"It's about 4000 to 5000 kilometres away on an island sir" It replied.

"Well then, guess we'll have to get there by one of earth's flying ships, what do you call those, birds? Metal-sky things?" Red questioned.

"Planes?" Alyster answered.

"Why yes, a plane! But first, human, I'd like you outfitted to be one with my crew!" Dark Red motioned at Alyster to follow him down a hallway to the armoury, full of different robot parts, bolsters and guns. At the end of the room there was a special workshop with a table and different bits of shields and suits. "Lie down, my outfitter will be here in a second. Maestro! Where are you?!" A door opened at their feet and a small, limber robot popped out. It had one eye fit with magnifying glasses on the side and instead of hands, it had scissors, lasers and other cutting and painting tools.

"What would you like today boss?" It chirped excitedly.

"I'd like you to make a suit of armour for my new soldier here. Something that matches the essence of their power. Alyster, if you will." He beckoned them to produce a small flame again, this one being easier to produce.

"Ah, a beautiful blue!" Maestro buzzed "And would you like it to match your garb as well?" He added.

"Yes, good on you for thinking of that! I'll be in the cafeteria now, bring them to me once you are done!" Dark Red commented. It was probably the first positive thing they had heard him say. Maybe this wasn't going to be all that bad after all. Maybe.

"What are you thinking of doing?" Alyster asked Maestro nervously.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll make you look ravishing! Just lay down and relax!" He hummed, grabbing a piece of a large shield, cutting it in half and painting it blue. "Seriously though, relax, this is gonna take a while." Alyster took his word and laid down, eventually falling asleep from their exhaustion on the cold, metal table. Their mind drifted and they found themselves dreaming. They were on a barren wasteland, the wind whistling through the hollowed buildings. They felt the heat on their skin and a warmth in their heart as they trekked by buildings they somewhat recognized. Coming close to their tent, they saw two figures in the distance, one entirely black and the other was similar but with a white shirt. Although they looked intimidating, Alyster somehow felt comforted by seeing them. They turned towards them but the figures passed out on the ground as they rose up, startled out of their dream by Maestro. "I'm finished! Take a good look at yourself!"

"What… how did you get this on me, I was asleep the whole time!" They said groggily.

"Oh, I gave you an anesthetic, I can put costumes easier on you humans when you're not moving! It does have some weird side effects though, like headaches, hallucinations, visions of the future, migraines!" Maestro rambled on and Alyster had to cut them off.

"Visions? No human medicine can do that!" They rebuked it outwardly, but inwardly they thought it would explain their dream. Before they could think more, Maestro beckoned them to get up in front of the mirror. They still had their black clothing on, but their entire figure was accentuated by blue-black armour. Their shoulders, chest and thighs were protected the most and instead of their converse, they had blue metallic boots.

"Now come along, I must take you to my liege" Maestro enticed, grabbing a blue mask in one and their hand. He lead them further down the hallway to the eating hall where Dark Red was at the far end of the table, feasting on some alien slugs and laughing with his droids. "Your eminence, the human's outfit is complete!" Maestro announced.

Taking one last bite, Red looked over and was impressed by Alyster's transformation. "Why Maestro, you've done it again! How do you feel Alyster?" He asked, ogling the outfit.

"I feel the same, but a little stronger. And almost braver." They replied, feeling mentally safer, like it was emotional armour as well. "I'm mostly just hungry right now though, can I have something to eat?"

"Of course" Red bellowed. "Go to my chef, he'll fabricate you any human food you want! After that, we will start your training." Alyster was thankful they didn't have to eat some alien grub and ordered some sushi along with a cup of green tea, their favourite. Eating enough to quell their hunger but mindful of their workout ahead, they ate a reasonable amount. Washing their hands and putting on the helmet Maestro gave them, they walked past the armoury again to a small arena. Red was waiting for them with a few of his droids, carrying different bolsters in their claws. "Ok Alyster, first lesson is dodging!" He commanded "Avoid the blasts and don't fire back for now!" Just like that, they were thrown into a routine with no warmup. The minions spread out on either side with their bolsters, claws on the trigger. "Now!" He ordered, the droid on the farthest end firing first, then the rest of them in a row. Alyster leaped in the other direction, above the line of fire and then landed on their stomach below. "Well, you did it but clumsily!" Red complained.

"Well, if you wanted grace, you should've recruited a dancer!" Alyster retorted, feeling rejuvenated by working out their strengths again.

"Hahaha, nice one!" He cackled. "Again, but don't be so predictable this time!" Dark Red commanded his droids. The one to his left fired and they swerved out of the way. They saw the next shot from the other side, crouched down and avoided the next shot by jumping over it. It was just like all the parkour they did in the city. All that fun was worth something after all. Getting used to the rhythm, they were able to duck the next few shots until one came out of nowhere, hitting their shin. With the armour though, it just dissolved into sparks. "Alright, now it's your turn to fire!" He commanded. Looking to his droids, he said "Shields up!" They followed suit building a wall for them to fire at, and Alyster focussed all their power into their hands. Each time it was getting easier to control. Building large flames in both of their hands, they swung their arm forward and let go of one orb, but it hit the roof. "Work on your aim, soldier!" He shouted forcefully. Alyster tried again, feeling when to let go of the flare and threw a little sharper. The next one ended up hitting half a shield and half of the wall. "Yes, keep going!" Red encouraged. They wound up their arm, replenishing their hand with more fire, and hit the shield dead centre. Alyster smiled and realized Dark Red was doing the same. They were feeling more and more comfortable here, even though deep down they knew it was wrong. In this moment though, they felt strong and safe as they wound up again with their other hand, lining their fist with the flame inside of them that wouldn't be put out. They blew a hole in every shield, blowing back each minion with more and more force. "You're getting stronger, my recruit. How about something a little more intimate now? Dipper, come here!" A taller droid with hands instead of claws came to Red's side, glaring at Alyster.

"Hello trainee." The unique minion droned. "We'll start with a series of punches and kicks, you can use your powers but I'd like to see what you can do with your strength alone." Dipper took a step back and asked "Understood?"

"I understand." Alyster replied. This felt just when the taekwondoe classes they took when they were little! Taking the same stance as Dipper, he swung his fists at them, dodging each one. They threw their fists back at them flame-free, missed one and landed two on his stomach. Dipper went for some low kicks, Alyster hopping over them and then he went up higher. With a high kick, his foot almost hit their chin but Alyster grabbed it and swung his leg back down. When it was their turn, they used their tough boots to do some damage to Dipper's armour and it worked pretty well.

"Alright, you seem fairly proficient with marital arts. Now let's do this like the real thing!" Dipper exclaimed. His voice was almost as deep as Red's but not quite. Instead of stepping back, he went in right with a punch to Alyster's abs, but they dodged it, rounding to his side and landing a few punches on his hips. He went for a back-kick trying to trip them up, but they bounced back, got in a quick stance and kicked up with one foot to get some air. Their other foot rose up to meet Dipper's neck and they were able to knock him down! "Well done Alyster." Dipper complimented. "Now I have one last test for you." He went to a table at the side of the arena and grabbed a bright blue gun. "Stay still for me now." he said alluringly. Alyster was entranced and obeyed his ridiculous command as Dipper aimed straight for their left hand. He pulled the trigger and in an instance a blue blur blasted towards them, encasing their hand in a ball of ice. "Now break free!" He challenged.

"Raise your hand and focus your power Alyster!" Dark Red encouraged, still watching from the side. Alyster raised their fist with a loud groan, narrowing all the energy they had to superheat their fist. The ice shone a bright blue and 'BOOM!' the ball exploded in two, revealing a blast of fire bigger than ever on their hand.

"Agh, it's so hot!" They felt like they almost burnt themselves for the first time, it was hot as magma! Flinching, they tried to control all the energy they were holding, trying to diffuse it and not let it go, for they might blow a hole in the ship. "What do I do!?" Alyster cried to Red and Dipper.

"Breathe, human!" Dipper cried. "Doesn't that usually calm you people down?" Alyster did their best to slow their breathing and soon the massive orb diffused. They were absolutely shocked, wiping their hot hand on their forehead full of sweat. It was hard work, what these aliens were putting them through but they finally felt like they were using their powers for something!

"Amazing work, my young warrior!" Dark Red complimented, clapping enthusiastically. Dipper and the other droids chimed in, and it felt like they were welcoming them as one of their own. Alyster took off their helmet, smiling for the first time that day. So many thoughts were swirling in their head, but they were interrupted by Red "Now come with me. You have lots to learn."

Walking out of the arena, Alyster stood alongside Red and asked "Like what?"

"About our plans" He answered. Walking to the control room, he continued "There is a mission I have been pursuing for eons, and now thanks to you I have the greatest weapon and hopefully, a new friend."

Alyster was taken aback over the implication that he considered them friends already! They still had so much hatred deep down in their heart, but every time they thought of that, of their old friend, it made them so weak. Red was making them feel so much stronger after he tore them down, and he made them feel valuable. "I think you should know humans choose their friends carefully." They finally said.

"I know, it's just a suggestion. I'm sure you will reconsider." He replied, attempting to persuade them. They walked into the control room, the window at the side looking over earth "For now, we have a mission! With you at my side, we will be unstoppable! You are no longer just Alyster! You are my comrade and with your knowledge of earth, you shall be my third-in-command!"

"Who's your second?" Alyster asked right away.

"Dipper, he's the best at combat!" Red answered. "Anyways, you are invaluable to me and I hope you will remain at my side, Dark Blue."

"Dark-what?!" Alyster said, astounded!

"Oh, excuse me young one" he said, kneeling down and grabbing their hand. "That is what I shall call you." Red said comfortingly. Now at eye level with them, he looked earnestly into their eyes and asked "Will you be Dark Blue?"

"Yea, I kind've like it." Alyster said, surprising themselves. "I will be Dark Blue."


	4. Chapter 4

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that!" Red exclaimed, his eyes glowing with delight. "Now, we must make some plans!"

He ran off to the control room and Alyster followed him, walking along the window overlooking the earth. In the cockpit of the ship, the little droid was busy trying to fix the teleporter, but had no luck. "Oh, Master, I am sorry I couldn't get it fixed in time! I did get the portal to move closer, but only by a little." It said trembling "But it is still functional!"

"Great, let's get going then! Dark Blue, what is the fastest route to get to our plane-thingy?" Red asked.

"I don't know! Just let me through the portal and I'll get my sense of direction back!" Alyster yelled back.

"Ok, fine! Dipper, where are you?!" Red called down the hall.

"Coming, master!" He said, lumbering down with a gun in hand.

"We must leave soon, I'm getting impatient!" Red whined.

"Well, do you have enough patience for a six hour flight?" Alyster asked their master.

"Well yeah I guess I do." He said, calmed down a little.

Alyster and Dipper gathered their things and Dark Red went ahead of them. He summoned five droids to accompany him and he asked if the portal was steady, The droid at the helm nodded and Red took the first step back out on earth. Dipper, Alyster and the droids followed suit, and they were in a different area of Montreal. They were in Millennium Park which Alyster recognized right away having been there with some of their friends. The droid had moved it much closer to the airport compared to Mile End, and it was only a small trek to the airport from there. Being out of the ship and in the suburbs with their robotic gear on, Alyster suddenly felt out of place even though they were home. _But what is this home without Cassie_ a small voice said. Alyster shut it out right away. They didn't want to face their pain again. The group reached the curb before the airport and Alyster explained all the hoops they would have to jump through before they would get a hold of a plane.

"Oh, that will be nothing!" Red quipped. "We'll muscle our way through there, it'll be easy!"

"Whatever you say…" Alyster said. "I just hope I don't mess up." They took the lead and crossed the road to the departure terminal, and Red blasted the doors down, making an opening big enough for him to walk through. Inside the airport, people waiting at the check-in lobby ran in all directions, screaming in fear. At the end of the hall, armed security began shooting at the crew, but Red was bulletproof and so was Alyster's armor.

"Dark Blue, could you deal with them? They're annoying me." Red ordered.

"Sure thing." Alyster obeyed. Bounding directly towards them, they conjured a ball of fire in their hand and leaped towards the guard at the end of the line, blasting him in the chest. He was knocked down, and they turned to the rest of the guards, all lined up to be knocked down with one single blow. They smiled at how fun this was becoming and saw how Dark Red enjoyed this so much. "Come on, this way!" They yelled to the crew. They bounded around the corner to the security checkpoint, most of the people cleared out already, and more armed guards were waiting for them. Two droids joined Alyster, running forward with their claws ready to trip them up. They took out the guards in the middle while the droids took care of the sides, and Red joined them when they had taken out the second wave.

"Which way now?" Red asked.

"Through there" Alyster said, pointing at the fake wall with the line to the security checkpoint.

"Dipper, if you will-" Red started, being cut off by a blast of Dipper's gun. He blasted a hole through the wall and the glass and beams shattered, showing the area empty of the eager passengers and the security agents with guns drawn. Alyster hopped over the rope line, through the tear in the wall, and with one swipe of their burning hand, they flung an orb of fire knocking out a majority of the guards. With another swipe of their hand, they knocked out the rest, destroying the security gates in the process.

"I always hated security anyway" Alyster remarked. They ran up to the screens to see what flights were going were, and found the one to Grand Cayman. It was leaving in 30 mins and was on the other side of the airport. "Come on guys, we've got one more hoop to pass through!" Alyster called to the group.

Dark Red and and Dipper followed far behind and started talking amongst themselves. "What a fighter this human is!" Dipper exclaimed. "I'm surprised you were able to devitalize such a strong spirit to do your bidding."

"Yes, I am impressed too. They are a valiant fighter no doubt and it will take a lot to mantain their loyalty, but now that I've tamed someone like them, maybe I'll have more luck with the beasts!" Red replied. "Meeting someone like Dark Blue reminds me of when I first met you." He remembered.

"Well, I wasn't a weak human, but you did find me valuable when I was feeling worthless." Dipper memorized. "I could not be more thankful to you." He said, looking at Red with earnest eyes. "And now we are so close to reaching our goal! All thanks to Dark Blue."

Alyster suddenly perked up when they heard Dipper say their other name, and turned asking, "What did you want from me?"

"We want to know how much farther it is our transport!" Dark Red yelled from the distance.

Alyster stopped and said "It's gonna take a while, but it-" They cut themselves off when they saw a passenger cart stopped at a gate. "It might be faster with one of those!" Getting in the driver's seat, one of the droids sat beside them, the rest in the middle, and Red and Dipper sat in the back. Everyone else sitting in the gates looked at the aliens with humor and horror, wondering why security was chasing them. Alyster revved up the vehicle as fast as they could, blasting people out of the way before they hit anyone. They may as well try to avoid collateral damage. They made it to the gate to Grand Cayman in mere minutes and Red had taken care of the guards who were chasing them as they were driving. Alyster got the details on the plane leaving in fifteen minutes, and that it was an emptier flight on a 747. There'd be enough room for Red's 10-foot tall body to fit in the front. Before they could force their way through the gate, more guards came rushing towards them. They were able to pick off them pretty easily except for a big guard that came bounding behind them. He ran to the door of the gate, blocking their path to the plane. "Let us pass, and I promise I won't hurt you" Alyster threatened in a deep voice. Behind their armor and helmet, they looked just like their alien crew.

"Oh no you won't." The guard bellowed back. "You will be arrested right away!"

"Well. good luck fitting handcuffs on my herald here." Alyster joked, pointing back at Red.

"What are those-oh never mind Blue, just get him out of our way will you? Red demanded. His temper was getting short. This wasn't going as well as planned. Knowing it would take a little more to knock him out, Alyster rushed the guard, grabbing his throat and pinned him against the wall. With their other hand, they made a fist of fire and held him there. "Thank you, Blue. Now finish him."

Without thinking, Alyster flung their fist into the guard's face and let go of his throat. His body fell with a thud and he choked out one last breath. Alyster turned to Red with wide eyes and mustered "Is that…what you wanted?" They asked with the same nerves they had when they gave their first article to Carl at Vice.

"Yes, that's exactly what I wanted." Red replied captivatingly. Turning to Dipper, he ordered him to blast the gate's hallway off. Red and Dipper wouldn't fit through there and the two barely fit through the airplane door, but soon after they got their seats and had given a little threat to the pilots, they were off towards Grand Cayman. Red was sat in the middle, Dipper at his left, and Alyster at his right. They took their helmet off and took advantage of the first class service, having half the area to themselves.

An hour into the flight, they turned to ask their lead "So, Red…what exactly are we gonna do when we get there?"

"Well, we are in search of the source of your power, remember? It'll be your job to lead us to it." Red answered.

"Oh, right. I was also wondering why. I mean, where have you come from and why you of all the aliens out in space?" Alyster inquired. Their journalist instincts were coming back, and they were suddenly very curious about this foreign invader they chose to make their leader.

"I've come from a desolate planet in need of energy. My family, my home, everything I knew as a little scrub was there. Dipper too." He reminisced, pointing at his friend who had fallen asleep. "We saw the destruction of our homeworld, and now all that's left is dust and the Beasts-sssttaaaggghh-I HATE THEM!" Red suddenly lashed out!

Alyster jumped back from his sudden outburst and cautiously asked "Wha..what are these beasts?"

"They're huge, scaly, big antlers. You don't have those?" He muttered.

"Don't think so." They quipped.

"Well, they're hard to tame and trample everything in their path. It's a good thing you don't have them, actually." He muttered.

"Yea I guess it is…anyway, about your home?" Alyster probed.

"Ah, yes. It's been a while, but the one advantage to my home planet is that it is full of portals." He remarked.

"Really? Where do they lead?" Alyster asked.

"Anywhere from the tundras and deserts on earth, to the farthest planets in the solar system. It's what made getting to earth on my ship so easy!" He replied. "Being stuck in this metal tube however is absolutely enraging!" Red blurted again. He was becoming very impatient and Alyster felt like they had to calm him down.

"It's ok Red, I get antsy on long flights too! Why don't you tell me about your family, the one you had on-what's the planet's name?" They asked.

"Lithiri. The sun and six moons that circled it washed the beautiful flora in white light all the time. We built caves for homes out of the rock, and you could make a peaceful life for yourself. But it did endure many disasters. It didn't rebound from the last one so well." He shuddered. Alyster though it best not to ask him about Lithiri anymore and decided to just console him.

"It's ok, I want to help you, I really do. I can't imagine how much you've been through." Alyster said sincerely, surprised they were relating so well to this alien. But weirder things had happened to them.

"Thank you Alyster. I knew I picked you for a reason. Now, get some sleep. You will need your rest." Red enticed, his deep voice lulling them to sleep. They definitely needed the rest after their first fight and their harrowing past few days. They drifted off for the first time since laying on Maestro's desk.

5 hours later:

Alyster woke with a start when the plane landed. They looked outside the window to see palm trees and the sunset, and Red had gotten up, impatient to go. The crew got out ahead of the rest of the passengers, before they fixed the hallway back on the door of the plane. Alyster jumped out of the plane last, falling ten feet to the ground. Looking down the runaway, they realized weren't going to have a smooth time getting off the airport grounds. Security was there ready for them. "Uuuhhh, Red? What do we do?" One of the five droids asked their leader.

"Fight them, what do you think?!" Red barked at them. He was getting more and more impatient and they started to realize that it would be imperative to get him to the core as fast as possible. Thank god they were getting close! Following Red's orders, they took the lead with the droids and were able to form a mighty blast of fire that knocked the first line of guards out with their shields. They were all armed but didn't start firing back until the plane had moved from behind them. Bullets were flying all around them, bouncing off their armor and wasn't affecting the droids much. Well, accept for one that got a bullet lodged in their flamethrower and started squabbling off to fix it. Alyster couldn't help but snicker at the little alien's rage quit. Fighting with them was becoming easier and even fun. Except when they did more than knock out someone. They wanted to be careful not to do that to any of the Cayman cops. "Blue, get us out of here!" Red ordered from behind them. They decided to make the crew's escape easy by grabbing a can of gas, pouring a line between them and the guards, and with one little flame from their finger, set the pavement ablaze. With fire for cover, the crew ran for the fence to the left, away from the airport. The aliens jumped the gate with ease, but Alyster knew they would have to give themselves a little boost. Five feet from the gate, they opened up their hands and instead of an orb, they shot a jet of fire from their hands, launching themselves up like a rocket! They cleared the fence by a longshot, and joined the rest of the group, running to the beach across the road. Red looked back at them, surprised "Since when can you do that?!" he asked.

"Uuuhhh, since now?" They answered with pride. Panting just a little from the humidity, they fell on the sand and checked their phone that was still in their pocket. It was 10pm on the island and it was a good thing they got their nap. Unfortunately their phone was at 30% battery, but they did have their charger! Checking their exact location to find the way back to the cave, they realized it would only be a thirty-minute hike. Thank goodness! "Ok Red, I have the path to the core!" They reported.

"Excellent! Hope you've all gotten your breath back soldiers, let's go!" Red cheered. He let Alyster lead the group as the GPS, walking beside Dipper.

"We are so close! Soon we'll be able to use the core to bring Lithiri back to its former glory!" Dipper exclaimed. Out of earshot from Alyster, he added "I can't wait to see what earth will look like without it!"

"Me as well Dipper." Red whispered back to his friend. "This planet has gleaned from its energy for long enough. But I do have a little change to our plans."

"What exactly?" Dipper scrutinized. He didn't know his friend as someone to change their mind.

"Let's bring Alyster to Lithiri with us. Invite them to live with us when we take the core. If they want to go back to earth, it'll be easy with all the portals back here, but I don't think they'll want to when they see what state earth will be in." Red devised. "I'm sure they'll love it with us once our planet is replenished by the core's energy!"

"What if they don't?" Dipper asked carefully.

"Well, then we'll leave them on this planet to their own resources! Of which there will be none!" Red remarked, laughing suddenly at his own schemes.

Alyster heard this and turned to the two, asking "What are you laughing about?!"

"Oh, nothing blue, just saw a funny-looking fish!" Red lied, pointing to the ocean.

Alyster looked to the water and saw an orca jump out of the water, followed by an even bigger one! "Ooohhh, Orca whales, they're my favourite!" They said excitedly. "We're only ten minutes away from the cave now, by the way!"

"That's awesome!" Red declared, his deep voice booming all around the tropics, scaring off the birds. "Now what the heck are those?!" He gawked.

"Those are parrots, Red! They don't seem to like you all that much!" Alyster joked. One of the birds flew directly to them, landing on their blue shoulder pad. It was the most beautiful white dove they had ever seen! "But they do like me!" They beamed.

"Well, you seem to be one with animals!" Dipper complimented. "Must take a lot of peace to attract them to you!"

"Well, it does take a lot of patience! But some animals are just more fond of people than others!" Alyster replied. The dove sat on their shoulder, cooing in their ear. It was like the bird was trying to tell them something. But what message could a white dove have? Looking up, they saw the opening of the cave. Even though it was dark and warm outside, it was cool and musty inside the cave. One cold wind rushed by their head and the dove flew off. "We're here."

"Thank you Alyster. Half of your job is done." Dark Red turned to his crew asking them to catch up, and Alyster remembered something important.

"Just a minute Red, I need to grab something!" They turned down the hill before he could say anything, to the tourist center to grab a light for their helmet. Busting in the locked office, they grabbed a flashlight, but before leaving they looked to the other side of the foyer to the tv, where they sat with Cassie last year watching the news. They were stuck in place, looking through the window and through their memories. They seemed to bury them and it was so hard to think of their deceased friend, but just as they felt the grief bubble up, they heard Red calling for them up the path. Shaken out of their trance, they booked it up the trail. "Hey Dipper, can you weld this my helmet please?"

"Sure thing, Blue." He stuck the black flashlight on neatly and Red turned to the two.

"Is it a clear path to the Porthole?" Red asked.

"Yea, it is. A few twists and turns but no diversions." Alyster answered as best they could from their memory.

"Ok then, I'll lead." Red told the crew. He told everyone to fall behind and follow him. The cave was colder than usual at night, and there was only the light from their helmet and the glowing eyes of all the aliens Alyster had chosen to call their friends. _But have you really chosen them_ said a voice in their head. They thought yes right away, but looking at the beautiful cave walls full of the gems that Cassie and them had marveled at, another voice said otherwise. But it was too late to ponder on those voices. Before they knew it, they had reached the porthole to the core and Red was at their side asking "Are you ready?"

Without thinking, they answered "Yes" and leaped into the abyss.


	5. Chapter 5

Alyster was hurtling down the dark chasm, their flashlight being the only thing illuminating the rock around them. As they were falling faster though, a blue light was starting to show at the bottom. Showing the surface of the porthole. They realized they needed to slow themselves down and thrust their hands forward, generating a flame that was powerful enough to slow their fall. They were like a SpaceX rocket landing back on earth! Feet before the ground, they were able to flip backwards and land on their knees. Alyster had never done something so exerting on their body and was heaving for air. They rested on all fours for a moment until they heard Dark Red and Dipper land behind them. Looking up towards the light, they realized it was a beam shooting out of the ground. They got up and walked towards the hole in the ground. "Wait." Red warned. "Be careful, I've never been this close to this amount of power."

"Thanks Red, but I'll be fine!" Alyster countered.

"Yea, Red, don't worry!" Dipper added sarcastically.

Alyster took the first steps to the beam. The path jutted out of the ground and at the blue light illuminated the rocky dome. They didn't even need their flashlight anymore. Coming to the top of the stairs, they looked down the narrow passage and were almost blinded by the energy! They realized the way to the core wasn't big enough for them to get through, and they didn't know what to do. Afraid, they asked Red "What now?"

"You can summon it yourself, Dark Blue. A part of the core's energy is in you, so use that power!" Red encouraged. They took the advice and Alyster focused all their strength, reaching out to the core with one hand. There was no change though and they were putting a lot of stress on their body. Trying even harder to focus, Alyster knelt down and put their outstretched hand in the opening. A beam of light then focused on their palm, and the orb started to move! It sped up through the passage and Alyster grasped it as soon as they felt it hit their hand. They got up and held the power source in their hand, light flooding the entire dome! Turning to Red and Dipper, they held up the core in triumph. "EXCELLENT!" Dark Red cheered. "Now we can bring it to Lithiri and we will have our planet back!" He said to Dipper, holding back his tears.

Dipper sniveled as well, saying "I can't believe this day has finally come, thank you Alyster!"

Alyster smiled at their new comrades, grateful they were finally able to help someone. Looking at the core on their hand, they realized their hand had turned blue like the core, and they were feeling stronger than ever before. Neither of the aliens noticed as they walked up to them and handed the core to Red, who had the most satisfying grin on his face. Alyster panicked for a second, thinking they had depleted the core's power, but it still looked the same. "Dipper, will you send a message to the ship that we need a short trip back?" Red ordered.

"Yessir." He replied, grabbing his control panel to call the cockpit. Right away the droid answered.

"What is it, Dipper?" The minion squeaked.

"Are you able to send a portal to our location?" Dipper asked.

"Yes, the machinery is now functional, just give me a moment!" As soon as the droid finished, a portal opened up beside them and Alyster walked right through with the aliens. As they got back on the ship, a company of droids were waiting the ship for their master's arrival, cheering as they saw the core in his grasp.

"My loyal servants, our mission is complete! We can go home to beautiful Lithiri, to our families!" Red declared to his crew.

The aliens cheered even more, and Red had to calm them down. "Go, make preparations for out journey, we set out in an hour!" The cockpit emptied and Red turned to Alyster "Now I have a proposition for you. Dipper and I were talking about how helpful you've been and we don't want to leave you on earth, so we were wondering if you would like to live on Lithiri with us."

"What? Are you serious?" Alyster blurted, taking off their helmet. They were surprised Red was offering them a whole new life on a planet, and considering their life on earth with powers was going to be difficult, they didn't know what else they could do but take up his offer.

"Yes" Red interrupted their thoughts. "You have been a loyal comrade and we don't want to leave you here. Please, it'll make me so happy!" He seduced, Dipper nodding behind him.

"Well, I think it'd be fun….." Alyster trailed off as they looked over Red's shoulder to a planet they thought was mars, but it wasn't red enough and there was snow on the top and bottom. Were they in another system? They hadn't felt the ship move… "Red, where are we?" They asked.

"We're still above earth Blue, we haven't gone anywhere!" Red stated.

"Tha-that's earth?!" They stammered, looking down at the barren planet. "What happened?"

"You did." Red replied. "You pulled out the core, that's what happens!"

"You didn't tell me it was gonna suck the life out of Earth!" They turned, their hands glowing blue. They had sucked up a lot of power from the core, and it was hard to control it. "What did the core even do?!"

"It sustains diverse life as it did on your planet. Now there will still be some creatures and plants on earth, but not half as much. That's what Lithiri's like right now!" Red stated.

"I did this?" Alyster collapsed on the floor looking down on the ravaged earth. It was no longer the beautiful blue planet, but a desert. They realized with a shock why Red needed it so much. They wished they could grab the core and reverse it all, but would putting the core back in the porthole actually reverse the apocalypse they wrought? Or would it just make it a livable wasteland? And besides, Red had locked the core away already. "I guess I have no choice but to come with you." They lamented. Their emotions were running high and a familiar voice whispered to them _be smart, there is still something you can do!_

"It's ok Blue, you'll love it on Lithiri! It won't look so good at first, but once we put the core back in its rightful place, it'll be a paradise!" Red ensured them, putting his hand on their shoulder.

Red's touch was cold and Alyster nudged his hand off, retorting "Whatever, just let me be! And stop calling me Blue all the time, it's just a title!" They jumped to their feet and sauntered down the hallway, leaving Red conflicted. They found the armory again and realized they had nowhere to sleep. Knocking on the doorframe, they called out "Maestro?" The navy tailor bounced out of his station and zoomed over to Alyster.

"What can I do for you Dark Blue?" He chirped.

"I need a place to sleep, where is that?" They asked, sighing off him using their title again.

"Ah, the dorms are this way, follow me!" He piped, scuttling down the hall. The doorway at the end of the ship opened up to a series of even smaller doors, and Alyster had to crouch down to fit into the cell. They started to take off their armor and put it beside the bed, but Maestro grabbed it saying "Let me take those for you, I'll make them even better for you when you wake up!" Picking up the armband, he glanced at the burn around the wrist. "Is this from the core? You must've been holding it a long time!"

"Uh, yea I guess I was.." Alyster mustered. They were too tired to think.

"That is so cool!" He squealed, his mechanical eyes glowing. He scanned the entirety of the armor after Alyster had taken it all off. "And to my readings, your power has also surpassed the strength of this metal! Why is that?" He asked curiously.

"I…don't know…" Alyster lied. They were too tired to explain what happened when they grabbed the core.

"Well, not to worry, I'll make it even stronger! Have a good sleep!" Maestro said, grabbing all the armor and rolled out the door. It shut after him, and Alyster finally had some privacy. Falling back on the mattress, they closed their eyes and drifted off to sleep, not before thinking of their act of calamity. They had brought carnage on the earth without knowing, their identity was torn from them with their stupid title, and the last thing they wanted to think about was Cassie. With all these burdens, they wished they could reset their whole week and stop all of this from ever happening. Was it possible now though? To reset everything, to save the world they ruined? Maybe, just maybe, they could get the core back and revive the earth, but right now they were too weak to take on Red and his army alone. And who knows, maybe Lithiri won't be that bad.

10 hours later:

Alyster woke up slowly as a light faded on in their quarters. The door slid open as they tried to lift themselves up from bed. "Good morning, Alyster!" Dark Red beckoned at the door. Maestro was at his side and was carrying their refurbished armor. He began fitting it on as Red gave them the itinerary for the day. They were nearing Lithiri, and the planet's resting spot for the core there was in a crevasse near the ship-port. "I'll still need your help handling the core, and once we successfully get the core back in it's rightful place, Lithiri will be restored to its former glory!" their leader finished.

"Sounds like a plan, Red! Just let me get something to eat, I'm starving after yesterday!" Alyster requested. Maestro handed them their helmet, bowed, and scuttled off. Getting up, their armor and shoes definitely felt stronger and it made them feel a little more confident.

"Ok, but make it quick! I'll be needing you soon!" Red ordered. Alyster found their way to the eatery by themselves, and the asked the chef to fabricate some eggs on toast. It was the most filling thing for them. Finishing up their coffee, they made their way to the cockpit, feeling very uneasy about the day ahead. They were starting to feel split on their new allegiance, and they felt sick thinking of what they did to the earth. They needed to figure out some way to heal it. Just then, Red interrupted their thoughts. "There you are, I've been waiting for you!"

"Why?" They asked.

"Because, we're here." Red motioned with his hand to the window and there was a dark, mountainous planet beneath their feet. They had made it to Lithiri.


	6. Chapter 6

The ship landed on the surface of the desolate planet, in a valley that stooped lower and lower to reveal a cavern a few miles down. Looking around them, they realized Dark Red was right when he spoke of the portals that covered Lithiri. It must've been how they perfected their teleportation technology on their ship. They could see passages to all sorts of far-off planets and bright galaxies, They were looking for a portal back to earth but the ship blocked their view of the rest of the passages. "Where exactly are we?" Alyster said, curious.

"This is the sanctuary of our planet" Red answered softly. "It was once the bustling hub of our planet but now all that remains are the portals that have been here since the planet's birth. We studied them and we realized that if you touch the surface and tell it where you want to go, it'll bring you there."

"That's amazing!" Alyster remarked. _And very useful,_ they thought.

"Yea, it's also how we learned to harness the portal's technology for our ship." Red added. Behind them a minion came out of the ship with the compartment he stored the core in. Holding it in one hand and beckoning Alyster to follow him with the other, they started down the path to the terrestrial cave. It was even colder in the enclosure, and there was something dripping from the roof of the cave. "Could you give us a little light, Dark Blue?" Red ordered.

"Don't know if I can keep it sustained for long, but ok." They obeyed, putting their hand into a fist and lighting the cave with their flame.

"Uhhh, I think he meant the flashlight, Blue." Dipper said.

"Oh whoops. Ok." Shutting off the flame from their hand, they flicked on the light on their helmet and it provided enough light for them to move around. After about a mile down the straight tunnel, an opening revealed a chute down with a spiral staircase around the edge. They continued down the stairs for a while, and they could see the surface of the chasm with an opening for the core. A pit grew in their stomach as they realized they would have to complete Red's mission for him and not make him pay for what he did. Their heart was pounding and they didn't know what to do but they had to make a choice soon. Taking the final step near the core of Lithiri, they stood in the middle with Red, Dipper, and the droids surrounding them. Red opened up the compartment and the blue light from the core surrounded the cave.

"Dark Blue, will you do the honors?" Red asked pensively. They felt sick to their stomach as they reached out to grab the sphere, but as soon as they touched it their hand glowed blue again and they felt strength flow through their veins. They stepped towards the opening and feeling assured again, a voice resounded in their head. _You know what to do. Keep fighting, keep FIGHTING, KEEP FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE!_ Cassie's message finally got to them and they knew they couldn't follow another one of Dark Red's commands no matter what he gave them or what life he promised them. Only a few seconds had passed by and the aliens were waiting on Alyster to drop the core into the planet's heart.

"I'm sorry Dark Red. I won't!" Alyster howled as they tucked the core into their belt, whipped around and with both hands spewed flames at the crew knocking them all back. The droids on the stairs started firing at them and they countered everyone with a blast, shooting Red continuously to keep him down. Luckily they had knocked Dipper out and the core was still in contact with their skin, fueling them with power! Looking up, they opened up their hands and shot themselves up like a rocket through the chute, past the stairs full of droids. There were more waiting in the tunnel as they landed at the top, and they blasted each one out of their way as they ran back outside. Red was a mile behind them and Alyster was miles from the nearest portal. Struggling to run through the sand, they decided to plant their feet in a lunge, pointing their hand behind them and shooting themselves forward, their feet skimming through the sand.

"Dark Blue, get back here OR I WILL KILL YOU!" Red screamed at them. Alyster winced at his threat, but they were not going to let up. They were feet away from the portal and they slowed themselves down by digging their heels into the sand and lessening the flame from their hand. They stepped right against the portal that was going to a planet they didn't know, so they carefully rested their hand against it and said where they wanted to go.

"The earth's porthole." Was all they needed to say and the planet swirled away to reveal the cave. They stepped through the gateway and were back near the core of the earth. They took the blue core out of their belt as they ran through the dome and before they let go of it, they tried to harvest as much power from it as they could. Standing atop the crevasse again, they dropped the core back into the heart of the earth. They had healed the earth finally, but before they could revel in their victory, they heard a cry ring through the portal. Red was feet away from entering but before he could, Alyster prepared to block him by howling at him with a cascade of fire, the same move that had knocked him out before. Knocking him and the droids back down the mountain, Alyster had time to get through the portal themselves and switched where the portal would go. "Pluto." That would be a good place to strand them, Alyster thought. Turning to see Red and the Droids, they realized their fight wouldn't be so easy. Red could still just use the portals and get the core back by force, but he would kill them in the process. Taking the uphill advantage, they shot themselves up in the air and shot Dark Red and his droids down the hill with everything they had. "This is what you get for killing my FRIEND AND MY SOUL!" Alyster fumed, angry at themselves that they hadn't realized what they were doing after he killed Cassie and they shut down. They let themselves be his weapon, but no more! Decimating the droids, they terrified Red and he ran back down the cave. Alyster chased after him, past the ship and down into the tunnel, searching for him through every curve. Getting close to the chute, they rounded the corner and saw Dipper and Dark Red waiting for them.

"Why have you done this Blue?" Dipper moaned. "I thought we were friends!"

"Really? Does a friend force someone to fight against their own kind?" Alyster countered. "I had a real friend and she told me to fight against fiends like you!"

"Didn't you think we were heroes!?" Dipper argued.

"I wasn't thinking anything! I was catatonic, and you used me as your missile!" Alyster corrected him. They were growing impatient with them now!

"Alyster, we see your strength and you don't! You have value with us! " Red implored, trying to devalue them.

"Oh, Red. Manipulation might be your strength, but I'm stronger than that!" Alyster howled back at them with a cascade of flame, knocking both Dipper and Red down the chute and to their demise. Looking down the pit, they doubled down their last blow by a ribbon of fire that consumed the whole chute and destroyed the stairs. "Finally." They huffed. Turning and walking back up to the surface, they entered the ship to retrieve their things. Grabbing their backpack, they went to the kitchen and used the fabricator to whip up some food they'd need when they got back to earth. Passing the armory, they realized Maestro was sitting on his tool bench, holding a picture frame and smiling. He had seen the whole fight and Alyster thought he would be upset that he killed his master, but he wasn't. "Maestro, what is it?"

"Oh, Alyster I have to thank you! I can now go home!" Maestro piped, wrapping his arms around them.

"What?! I thought this was your home!" Alyster exclaimed, thankful for the hug. They needed one.

"No, Dark Red took me hostage ages ago and threatened to kill me if I didn't make everything he wanted! I couldn't fight him since I'm just a little guy but you're so strong! You're my hero!" Maestro rejoiced, his voice revealing an even more alien accent.

"I am?!" Alyster gasped. A hero…they could never really be one, could they? They just had powers and they ravaged the earth unknowingly…they weren't like the heroes that stood up to Red in Montreal, or the Doominoids years before. They had just saved themselves though…

"Yes, you are, I'm so grateful! Is there anything I can do for you?!" Maestro exclaimed.

"There is one thing, can you change up my armor? To get rid of the blue?" They asked.

"Oh, sure thing, what colour do you want now?" He said with glee.

"I don't know, just plain white?" Alyster suggested.

"Oh, of course, just give me one minute!" Maestro said while circling them and taking off their armor. Taking it to the back, he laid it on the table and with a couple buttons and a flash of light, was able to make their armor black and white. Before bringing it to Alyster, he grabbed a tool out of the side of the table and scuttled over to Alyster saying "There's one more thing I can change as well. Just do a t-pose please?" he asked. Alyster obeyed them, closed their eyes for a second and then opened them to realize he had turned their black shirt and pants to white. Looking up at Maestro and smiling, he added "To go with the oufit. This thing also cleans clothes, which you definitely needed!" He ran back to grab the armor and outfitted Alyster with new black boots and a belt with a special holster for the core. "Just in case you need to harness it again. Hopefully you won't but it's there if you need it." He finished.

"Thank you so much!" Alyster reveled. Grabbing their pack of food, they walked out of the ship with Maestro and back up to the nearest portal. "So, where is home for you?" They asked him.

"It's a planet with a name you won't understand, but it was my home since I was a little scrub. I have sent a few messages to my family while I was gone and they have been waiting for my return." Maestro reminisced. "It's time for me to back with them finally, I have missed them so much!"

"I can imagine." Alyster added.

"I literally have not gone a day without thinking of them, and now I can actually speak to them!" He remarked. They were standing before one of the natural portals, and Maestro turned to them and gave them another big hug goodbye. "I must be on my way now. I wish you the best." He said softly in their ear. He stepped back, touched the surface of the portal and spoke a location in his own language. The surface swirled and revealed the street of a colorful, bustling planet. Maestro stepped through, turned back and waved goodbye to Alyster one last time. Tears were welling up in their eyes as he skipped down the street in delight. Now it was Alyster's turn. Reaching out their hand to the surface of the portal, they gave it a direction.

"Quebec North-" Before they could finish their exact location, a droid suddenly emerged from the ground. Alyster must've buried it in their fight. The little thing lashed out at them and with one blast, Alyster took it out but also shot themselves backwards through the portal behind them. They landed in snow and it took a bit to collect themselves as they adjusted to the earth's gravity again. Getting up they realized they weren't in Montreal. They had forgotten to give the portal that command and instead of being surrounded by apartments, there was only one building in the distance. Alyster trudged through the heavy snow and they fought the cold wind pushing them back. A small sign was posted next to the door of the warehouse that was covered in snow. Dusting it off, they were able to read it. "Salluit Airport. What…where am I?" They said to themselves. They tried the door and it was open luckily. Walking into the warehouse, they saw tools, a little kitchen in the corner and on the other side of the shop a map was posted on the wall. It was of all of Quebec, and a giant red spot was drawn at the top of the province, saying 'You are here.' They couldn't believe their error! They were stuck in the northernmost tip of Quebec!


	7. Chapter 7

Alyster sat on the floor of the warehouse, trying to reason with themselves that they were going to figure out some way of getting out of this tundra. They had a week's worth of food and their strength would help them survive. They just needed the will. They got up, looked for a plugin to charge their phone, and set up a temporary place to sleep. They found a shelf with first aid supplies, a tent, flashlight, and a duffel bag. They grabbed a sandwich out of their food bag and put the rest in the larger back along with the survival gear they'd need the next day. Dragging a cushion and a sleeping bag to the corner they had put their phone down, they sat down with the sandwich in one hand and their phone in the other. They were able to get the data working and they tried to see if there were any news at all, from anyone that survived. There wasn't anything new on twitter or Instagram for the last 24 hours, and Vice and the other news apps they trusted had nothing new either. The latest story their old co-workers published was an attack at the airport…that they were a part of. There were even pictures from the security cameras of Alyster standing in the terminal wearing their blue armor, similar to the white suit they had on now. Even though the picture was grainy and their helmet covered half their face, they could still see their vacant eyes in the picture. They had went completely blank, suppressing their grief so they wouldn't have to deal with the pain. But now they could rest. Reading the rest of the articles, Alyster realized they stopped posting new ones a day ago as well. Logging into their staff account, they were able to gain access to the security cameras that still had a little battery left in them. There was no one in the office unfortunately. It looked like they had closed for the night and no one had come to open up. They were starting to grow distressed, whispering to themselves, "I guess I am the last human left". There was nothing they could do to bring back the world they destroyed, not even putting the core back in its place brought anyone back. Suddenly, something moved by the cameras. A few birds flew by the windows and a deer too! The animals were still alive and well, and there was still some hope that people were gathered somewhere! They needed to try and get back to their home, to see if some people survived! They also realized the core was more powerful than they could imagine…it held the earth in balance, and without it, life could not flourish. I guess Red was right about a few things. Putting down their phone, they laid down on the mattress and bundled up in the small blanket they found. Closing their eyes, sleep enveloped them like a wave. They could finally sleep in peace.

Fifteen hours later:

Alyster was awake, preparing for their long trek back to the city. The small town they were in had a little store where they could get extra food and a water bottle, so they would have some resources. They were just worried about what they would do when they ran out. That probably wouldn't happen for a month though. Grabbing a compass and the map of the province was the last thing they needed before they left. Outside the sun shone and made the snow sparkle brilliantly, and they could see the town down the road. It was a quick task getting what they needed and they went southward out of Salluit. The town behind them got smaller and smaller as mountains in the distance got larger. The icy wind bit at their ears and nose, and the sun provided little warmth. What they were doing was crazy, but they knew deep down it was worth it. Not to mention the view was beautiful. The mountains were draped in snow with windswept patterns and the sky was clear. And if they got sick of the view, it would change with every step they took.

Five hours later:

Alyster crested the top of the mountain and there was a deep valley before them. It looked like an iced over lake and there was a sign at the bottom of the slope. Planting their feet firmly they were sliding down a little, then they opened up their hands and shot two ribbons of flame behind. They shot down the hill in a minute and dug their heels in to stop themselves. That would be way more fun if they had some skis. Maybe they should find some at the next city. They needed to dust some snow off the sign and it read 'Watts Lake, Kingulialuq.' Pulling out their map, they realized they were going east a little too much…perhaps they should've looked at their compass more. They couldn't rely on their sense of direction they had in the city to lead them back. They walked across the frozen lake, making sure they were heading south and stuck close to the mountainside, near the shore. The snow was getting softer around their feet and there was even slush occasionally. Taking one more step, Alyster heard a crack. Their heart flipped as they darted sideways, and the cracking didn't stop. They slipped and their legs fell through the ice, the water engulfing them! They tried grabbing at the shards of ice but every one of them came apart and the water was to their waist! Losing the last handhold, they thought they were going to take a dive, but out of nowhere a massive shadow came over them and they felt claws gripping their shoulders. Two giant black wings encircled them and with one WHOOOSH they were ten feet in the air! It let go of Alyster as reached the top of the mountain and the massive creature flew off! Panting, Alyster muttered to themselves "What…was…that?" It could've been a massive vulture that saw Alyster as its prey until it realized they were too heavy. Or maybe a mutated crow? Who knows what pulling the core out did to the planet! Thankful they were alive and not an ice block, they warmed up their legs with their hands and were able to dry their boots and pants. They decided to keep to the top of the mountain, where they could maintain their direction without glancing at the compass. Reaching the last hill around the lake, the could see a forest in the distance full of evergreen trees! The trees disappeared out of view as they sled down the mountain and started another boring trek through the snowy plains. It was amazing how empty and deserted this part of the earth was, with not a single building in sight. Alyster remembered how Dustin at the office liked to blame a lot of problems on overpopulation. Boy, was he ever wrong. If he could only take a deeper look at problems like housing or money or even look outside the city, he would realize that. All the problems he liked to moan about were way more complex than that, and solutions were less obvious than the chill air they felt. Where was their mind going though? They were thinking of random arguments in the office only hours into their journey! Would they start having hallucinations by tomorrow?! "No, no, you'll be fine." Alyster comforted themselves. They were still going, taking one foot in front of the other. As long as they kept it up, they would find themselves back in Montreal in no time. Back to civilization.

Five more hours later:

They had made it far enough now that the trees were back in sight but still miles ahead. The cold was starting to get to them, but they were surprised their legs weren't sore. They still had a lot of strength keeping them going. It was great testing their limits as well since they never had a chance. But they were still human and their stomach started growling loudly. They found a comfortable place to sit and ate another sandwich from their duffel bag, washing it down with some water they had to defrost with their hands. They were now a couple miles away from the forest and they knew they would have to have their compass handy to keep their direction. Sliding it in the front pocket of their pants, they got up and stretched a little before walking. Picking up their stuff, they started walking through the trees, sparse at first, and then they were shaded from the sun by the tall evergreens. The forest was cold but cozy and the sun was starting to set. They would have to set up camp for the night soon, they just needed to find an opening. They were doing pretty good at keeping their direction, and when there were smaller trees around them they could see mountains in the distance. They felt better with trees around them for some reason. They reached a clearing as the sun dimmed and took out their tent and mat. The small triangle tent was easy to set up, and Alyster slid the mat and sleeping bag in. Snapping a few large branches off the trees, they laid them down in a circle. They pointed two fingers at the sticks and were able to create a streak of fire from the tips of their fingers, heating up a branch in seconds and setting it alight. They created a small, hot blue fire to warm themselves up before they went to sleep. Sitting at the foot of their tent, they realized this was going to be their life for a little while. Walking, eating, sleeping, just hoping they were going the right direction and it was going to lead to something. It was alright though. It was like a giant camping trip after their harrowing week. Scraping snow over their fire, Alyster scooched back into their tent and zipped up the end. They felt warm and safe as they drifted off to sleep in the middle of the forest.

The next morning:

Alyster was awoken by a ray of light seeping through the tent, and they woke up feeling a little chilled. They winced a little as they pulled off their blanket as the cold morning woke them up better than coffee. They knew they would be fine as they started moving though. They had to shuffle out of their tent that they cold barely sit up in and they grabbed their pack at their feet. Stuffing the mat and sleeping bag into their pack, they dismantled their tent. Once they had that stuffed in as well, they stood up, stretched a little, and were on their way again. Through the trees, the path was winding more, east to west, up and down. They really wished they had some skis with them. Reaching a clearing atop a small hill, they could see the mountains were even closer and the sun was shining again. It felt like a good day. They skidded down the hill and caught themselves on some branches at the bottom. They took out a lot of twigs with their weight and heard a lot of trees rustling above them. They though they took out a small tree for a moment, but they realized all the trees above them were still. Looking back at the top of the hill, a lone wolf was growling at Alyster.


	8. Chapter 8

The wolf snarled at Alyster with beady black eyes and was definitely looking at them like they were prey, unlike that mysterious bird that picked them up before. They shot a ball of flame at it before taking off and bounding through the snow. It was hard to find an easy path through the trees but hearing the barking behind them, they broke though every branch. The snow dragged down their feet and they wondered who would get tired first. Through the trees they could see an opening and thought they could find a different path and distract the wolf for a bit. But as they stepped out into the field, they realized what they had run into. Five other wolves with speckled pelts were baring their teeth and ready to pounce. All Alyster could do was light their hands on fire and hold their hands open in defense. They heard the wolf running behind them leap and dipped to avoid getting clawed. Their defense was working a little as the wolves were mesmerized by the bright blue orbs. One leapt at their head but they swatted it down with a wing of fire before it got close to them. Realizing they couldn't fight all of the wolves leaping at once and that there was a slope before them, they threw down their hands in an attempt to launch themselves down the hill. Just after they threw their hands down and before they moved an inch, the animal in front of them leapt at their face, knocking them off their feet and into the soft snow. The five wolves started pulling at their limbs, but it's claws couldn't rake through their armor. It started gnawing at Alyster's face, leaving bloody teeth marks all over them. They couldn't repel it's teeth for much longer, and the wolf could take a bite out of their neck. Just before it managed to, a giant bird swooped over them, blocking out the sun. It distracted the wolves and as it veered over them, it picked up the wolf on Alyster's chest, flinging it towards the trees with great might. The other wolves were startled by the massive creature and ran towards their injured friend. Before they could hide in the forest, the beast hollered "Stop!" Alyster was amazed by the creature! It could speak and the animals obeyed it! The wolves were standing still as the beast lumbered towards the pack with its massive claws, and Alyster could get a good look at the creature. It was a massive bird like they had thought, but it wasn't just black. It herded the wolves with it's massive navy wings close to it's soft brown chest. It opened up it's golden beak again to tell the wolves "You will aid Alyster in their journey."

Struggling to get up, Alyster said aghast, "Wha- ho- how do you know my name?!" It must've been the bird who rescued them from the lake, they thought.

"I have been watching you. On every planet, in every world and in every time." It's voice bellowed. It's baritone voice reminded them of Dark Red's, but this beast's voice was deep and smooth.

"So you're like that God my parents made me believe when I was a little girl?" They asserted. Was their old religion coming to condemn them for what they did to the world?

The creature laughed boisterously at the assertion! "No, not at all! My name is Astrosatis, and I am here to help you, not damn you!" He said.

Did he just read my mind, Alyster thought.

"Yes I did." Astrosatis said quickly. Alyster just smirked. "I have seen the turmoil and grief in your mind. You have been strong in the face of it all, and that's why I have chosen you."

"For what?" They asked

"You shall see. You would not believe what your future holds if I told you." He claimed.

"Really? Can you at least tell me something?!" Alyster begged.

"I will, but for now we should keep moving." He said, gesturing forwards with his massive wing.

"Oh, right." Taking a step forward, Alyster realized how cold they were getting, but their face had also healed up a lot. Walking down the hill, Astrosatis walked alongside them and the wolves behind. "So have you been watching me my whole life?"

"Yes. I could see a danger in your future you could not avoid and I waited to see what you would do. There are others like you that I have watched that didn't fight like you." He replied.

"So you knew me and Dark Red were going to cross paths?" Alyster pressed.

"I didn't know it was going to be him until you reached the porthole. I could sense him reaching out to you and I couldn't stop him." Astrosatis sighed.

"So you're not all-powerful, you just have the power to see every world?" Alyster asked.

"No, although I do have more powers than just that! And that's not a nice thing to say about your new mentor!" He replied honestly.

"Oh, is that what you're going to be now?" Alyster jabbed. "What do you have to teach me when we don't have the same powers?"

"You do not need to be taught anymore about your physical abilities, but instead how you can be a hero." He affirmed.

"What?! I think you've got the wrong person, I'm no hero! I ravaged this world just because I thought I was doing the right thing, and now I don't know if I'm ever going to make it home! The six that fought Red before me were heroes, and I could never save as many people as they have!" Alyster argued. They were just saying everything that was on their mind now, as they couldn't hide anything from him anyway.

"You have saved one person though." He attested.

"Who?" They asked.

"Yourself." He replied.

Alyster realized he was right. When they had to choose, they were able to make the right decision. They helped Maestro find his family back, and they were doing everything they could to redeem themselves. And besides, as far as they knew, they were the only one on this earth they could save.

"That's right Alyster. Now you're thinking like a hero!" Astrosatis said, replying to their thoughts.

"I guess one person is good enough as well. I mean, the heroes I know have saved the world hundreds of times but they still are still so humble as those they've saved!" Alyster said excitedly.

"That's the spirit!" Now, you're still miles away from home, so I'll give you a little boost here! Just hold on to me!" Astrosatis said joyfully. As Alyster grabbed one of his large feathers, the wolves held onto his other wing. He closed his eyes and on his head, a curved symbol glowed like the sun. They felt like they were lifted from the ground and underneath their feet, the earth seemed to blur. Looking at the horizon, the sky scrolled away over their head and it was like all of time and space bent around them. After a few minutes, he slowed down and they came to a halt on the grass and warmth surrounded them. Looking ahead, they realized a massive lake before them, and a sign that read 'Lac Saint-Jean'. They knew exactly were they were and were amazed they had crossed nearly all of Quebec in so little time!

"How did you do that?!" Alyster gasped.

"Oh, I just used a little bit of speedforce!" He exclaimed.

"What's that?" Alyster asked.

"Oh, you'll know more about it when you meet a user named Jarod." He implied.

"Who?' Alyster asked, hoping to get more out of him.

"Oh, I didn't mean to say that! But, I will tell you who you will meet sooner." He said, giving in. "You will meet a sorcerer and a vigilante from another world."

Alyster realized they had a premonition of this before, when they were lying on Maestro's desk being outfitted with their armour that was now very hot and uncomfortable. "Now things are adding up!" They said aloud.

"Can you see now that I tell the truth?" Astrosatis nudged, knowing the vision they had gotten from the medicine used to render them immoveable.

"Yea I can, the proof's there. Where will I find this vigilante and sorcerer then?" Alyster asked.

"After you've been home for a while, they will come to you from another world." He answered.

"Another world? Like in space?" They pressed on.

"Yea, something like that. They will need help from you so give them sustenance when you find them. They will help you in turn." He said. His glowing blue eyes gazed into the distance, like he was seeing directly into the future.

"Well that sounds cryptic." Alyster muttered.

"That's all I can tell you. For now, keep them by your side." He said, gesturing to the wolves. "They will help you through the last of your journey." As he finished, the one with white fur came forward to stroke Alyster's hand.

"Awwwe, you're really friendly now." Alyster sighed. "I'm gonna call you Cassie."

"I must leave now, there are other universes I must travel to." Astrosatis announced, looking up into the sky revealing burgundy feathers on his neck. The symbol on his head glowed again as he flapped his wings and took off, disappearing into the sky.

"Thank you!" Alyster yelled as he flew away. Looking down, they took their backpack off and grabbed the compass. Letting the arrow settle, they realized they were on the north end of the lake, about a day's walk away from the mouth of the Saguenay river. If they could travel along that river, they would reach the St Lawrence river and use that as an easy way to get back home. They would probably make it to Pointe-Tallion park by tonight, where Alyster had travelled to once before with Cassie. It was just a nice little getaway in a small hostel by the lake, a more humble vacation than the one they took in Grand Cayman years ago. They never thought they'd visit that place again either, not after everything that had gone down over the last month. But there was time to think later. Now that they were so much closer to home, their hope grew as well and they called Cassie and the other wolves to their side. "Are you guys feeling as warm as I am?" They sighed. The wolves yipped in response, as if they could understand Alyster now. They were definitely happy to have some creatures to talk to.

Trekking along the lakeside, they enjoyed not having the cold blistering their face. Realizing how hungry they were, they sat down to eat some of the food they had left. They took off their armbands and left them in the grass, rolling up their sleeves. After eating and offering some food to the wolves, they found a road that would take them to the park. They finally had a direction, and they had hope for their future. All they had to do was walk.


	9. Chapter 9

The sun glared through the trees and awoke Alyster. They wished they had put up the tarp so they could get more sleep, but they remembered how close they were to the city and they felt hopeful they were going to make it there soon. Walking down to the lake along with the pack to get a drink of water, they felt their stomach gurgle and the wolves noticed. They all went off to get their own prey and while waiting, Alyster noticed a squirrel hopping on a tree and a pigeon close to it. Closing two fingers together, they shot a streak of fire at the bird first and the rodent second. They picked up their prey and made a small pile of branches in the rocks, Shooting a larger beam of fire on the makeshift pit, the blue blaze turned orange as it took to the twigs. Just before they set the squirrel over the fire, one of the wolves returned with a shrew in its mouth. The wolf sat down to eat as Alyster picked the feathers off their food and cooked the whole thing. Doing the same to the small rodent, they had a good amount of food for breakfast. As they were wrapping up their meal, the rest of the wolves returned with full bellies and brown fur caught in their teeth. "Oh, did you guys get a good meal?" Alyster asked. One barked back happily in response. "Good boys!" They went on. It felt really good to have some furry companions on their trip now. Their first night in Pointe Tallion park had wrapped up, and them and the pack had a lot more ground to cover. They kept walking around the coast of the lake, checking their compass to see if they had reached the end of the lake or were still going the right way.

After a few hours, the pack had reached a delta and the lake looked like it was getting smaller and smaller. They could actually see the other end now and each town they passed through got even larger. The sun was really beating down on them and they found themselves panting like the wolves. All they needed was more water to go on. As they sat down to drink, the wolves went to fetch more food and one wolf offered Alyster a squirrel he had caught. "Oh, thank you!" They said to him as if he were a cat that had just caught a mouse. They weren't hungry yet, but they had no good place to put the prey. They had taken their armbands off, since it was so warm, and they decided to use a part of their sleeve as a bag. As Alyster took their armor and shirt off, they realized they had gotten a lot more muscular. "I guess fighting for my life does pay off a little…" They thought aloud. Holding the sleeve up, they lit up a finger to a sharp flame and were able to slice the sleeve in half with precision. Doing the same to the other sleeve, they put their new tank top and chestplate back on and put the wolves' offering in the sleeve, wrapping up both ends and putting it in their backpack for later. The other wolves came back with no luck of finding food since they were basically in a marsh that didn't even have fish. Alyster was surprised how much wolves liked to eat though. They guessed they could go a few days without food up north, but down here there was a plethora of prey and the pack was always fully fed! It was a little hard to walk through the marsh, but they knew it was better to stick to the water so they wouldn't go off course. After a few kilometres, the ground got easier to walk on as they walked along the Saguenay river. The pack crossed through a few abandoned neighborhoods and crossed the first bridge they saw near an old dam that was starting to crumble. Alyster was starting to see the scope of the damage they did to the earth when they pulled out the core. If they had kept the power to themselves for any longer they could've rid the earth of plant and animal life as well. The more they thought about the capacity they had for evil, the less they believed what Astrosatis said to them. That they were a hero. They had saved themselves, but would they be capable of saving someone else's life when they failed to save Cassie's? It just didn't add up. Before they could make sense of it, Alyster heard a rustle behind them. The packed swivelled to see a bear lumbering towards them on the bridge! They made a break for the field in front of them, and the wolves ran with them. Once they were in the meadow the wolves slowed down and snarled at the predator. Alyster was surprised that they were turning to fight! They weren't going to leave their pack behind though. As they swivelled back, they lit their hands on fire and shot the bear right in the face! It only seemed to singe his fur, so they shot arrows of flame straight at his feet and sides instead. The bear was getting closer and the wolf beside them leapt and bit at the bear's neck. It was way more effective and the predator growled in pain. Another wolf went for it's back and that slowed down the bear even more. Just when Alyster thought they were alright, the bear lunged at their chest and knocked them down into the rocks. They could feel the bear's claws sink into their shoulders and before they could fend it off, their body went limp. Everything was going black and just before they slipped into total darkness, they saw their whole pack leap on the bear, dragging it off of them.

Time slipped by and Alyster heard the bear whimper off. They felt the wolves scamper around them, some licking their face to help them wake up. They tried to get up but they couldn't move just yet and their chest was aching. Alyster could feel their body healing though, and just as they started to come to, they felt a massive gust of wind and heard something scraping the rocks.

"Alyster! Wake up!" They finally opened their eyes to see Astrosatis towering over them. It was nighttime now and the full moon cast a white light over him and the pack. A wolf helped them sit upright and they tried to look at their shoulders. They felt alright now but were still tired.

"God, that hurt." Alyster groaned. "Were you coming to check on me?"

"No, I picked up on your thoughts." Astrosatis corrected. "I saw you were doubting yourself again and I came to encourage you. I didn't expect to see you lying here, are you alright?"

"Well, I'm fine. Thanks to these guys," They said, patting the wolves who laid down beside them. "And are you gonna swoop in whenever I have the slightest existential crisis?"

"No, but I could see your self esteem slipping again. You doubt yourself, but you do have the ability to help others, you'll see what I mean soon!" He reassured.

"Really? All I can do is hurt people with my abilities. Look at what I've done! And my lack of self esteem isn't just from what I've done recently." They said sorrowfully.

"I know. I've seen you all your life. You poured out love to everyone and got nothing in return." He recalled.

"You say that like it's nothing!" Alyster retorted, curling their knees up. "You don't know how much it hurt, feeling like nobody wanted me!"

"I may not, but I saw you learn to love yourself despite all that." He consoled, resting his wing on their knee. "You knew how special you were even if nobody else did.

"Yea well look where that got me!" They argued, tears welling up their eyes.

"It's ok Aly. You have been been a lone wolf but I promise you will find a family!" He said, lifting a feather to dry their tears.

"No one's called me Aly for so long." They whimpered.

"Does that comfort you?" He asked.

"Yea, it does….Cassie.…called me that all the time." Alyster whispered her friend's name to themselves. I miss her so much, I wish I could've done something more…."

"Well, it'll comfort you to know that you did." He replied.

"What are you talking about?!" They asked, confused.

"When you were at her side comforting her in the meadow, you were healing her." He revealed.

"How?! She was dying, I wasn't doing anything!" Alyster countered.

"You were easing her pain." He corrected.."There are some wounds you can't heal, but you can transfer the same ability your body has to heal to others. I was waiting for you to figure that out"

"Really?! Woah..." Alsyter said."I wouldn't have known that, thank you!"

"You're very welcome." Astrosatis said, his deep voice resounding in their heart. "I must go now, but remember you are worth more than you know. You will be a hero. You just need to wait. For now, get some rest." Looking at the ground he saw it was fairly rough. "Hmmmm, I'll make this area a little more comfortable." Alyster felt themselves levitate a little along with the wolves, and the rocks and roots tumbled away underneath them, leaving soft cotton and grass. It was so comfortable and they felt like they would be asleep in seconds.

"Thank you." Alyster sighed. The black crow nodded, looked up into the sky and the golden crest on his head glowed in the dark. As he took off into the sky, the wolves howled at the full moon and Alyster joined in yelling AAWWOOOO as they shot a plume of blue flame from their mouth. They were really a part of the pack.

A week later:

After an arduous trek along the St Lawrence river, Alyster felt like they were getting close to home as they had gotten passed Trois Rivieres last. The wolves would hunt for them and they would be able to cook the freshkill easily with their own flame. It was also comforting to sleep without a tent in the warm spring air, snuggled next to their new companions. The wolves had to fight off a few more bears, but they would fight them off together. Alyster felt like they were becoming one of them, yipping as they did, running through the trees and the marsh, and howling at the moon. The closer they were getting to the city, they realized the vegetation was running low and so was the prey. They saved more and more food by cooking it right away and storing it in pieces of tarp. The worsening climate was really concerning for them and they hoped that whoever they were supposed to meet in the city would help them before then.

There was still a sweet smell in the air though and they milled over what their new mentor had said to them. There was no way of knowing who this new family would be, but they hoped whoever they met would be able to accept them and what they had done. Or maybe it would be safer just not to tell them. To let the past die and just hope it won't catch up with them. To just say they were lucky to be able to defend themselves as the earth was stripped of life. They were a pretty good liar when they needed to be. But Alyster hoped they could be honest with their new family as well. Whatever would happen, they felt safe that they could defend themselves. Cassie would be proud of how strong they had become. If she could see them now, she probably wouldn't recognize them. Alyster's hair was longer and fell to one body was laced with scars and they had covered most of their wounds with strips of animal hide. They had ditched most of their armor, only keeping the belt and part of their gloves. They were just left with their tank top and the pants Maestro had fashioned for them. They had adapted very well to the apocalypse they had caused.

Passing an old marina, the pack skirted the river and walked out to the end of the dock. Taking out their compass and looking ahead to the next delta, they realized they were so close to home! Walking just a little further up the main road, they crossed the bridge and finally made it back to the island. Alyster breathed a sigh of relief as they knew their journey was finally coming to a close! It had been a long day's walk though, the sun was setting and they were all tired. As Alyster set up camp, the wolves went off hunting again through the marsh. Just as they were about to set fire to some branches they had gathered, they heard a loud yelp through the trees! Taking to their feet, they ran towards the river and found that the wolves weren't the only ones hunting for fish. An adult cougar was at the shore, sinking its teeth into the white fur of one of Alyster's guides. "Oh, god no!" They whimpered under their breath. "He was my favourite." It was too late to save him now and no other wolves were nearby, but they knew the massive cat would come after the rest of their companions. Alyster waited where the cougar couldn't see them and heard it finish off the wolf. They just grimaced, waiting for the chance to strike.

After ten minutes the cougar was still eating and the other wolves were nowhere to be seen. They knew their guides would come looking for them soon, so Alyster knew they had to take down the cougar before then. Holding two fingers together and pointing them to the left, they shot a blue blaze and went right. The cougar perked up and followed the ashen trail to the fire they started. They crept up as silently as they could and when they were close enough, they lit both their hands ablaze and whipped their wrists together in a swift motion, making a white hot ball of fire that burned the fur right off the cougar's back! It knocked the animal out and just for safe measures, Alyster kicked the massive cat into the river with a massive grunt. They didn't want to deal with the massive predator again! Panting heavily, they went to the wolf's side. It's insides were clear and there was just bones and fur. Alyster heaved and started to tear up. They couldn't believe how savage they were becoming. And that they lost their sidekick. It felt like losing the childhood pet they never had. The other wolves herded around them and started to whine and whimper, then they all broke into a howl. Alyster joined in and breathed out a massive plume of fire as they did. Alyster took the body to the edge of the river and washed it out, leaving nothing but a white, furry pelt. Using a narrow flame, they melded parts of the hide together and made themselves a cloak. It was all Alyster could think of to have a part of their friend with them forever. They only wished they could have something from Cassie.

It had been a month since Alyster had reached the city center, the meadow where Cassie was taken. It was strange being back here, and they were impatient to see when these 'heroes' would come to help. They still had faith though. Sitting in their makeshift tent, they boiled the last few scraps of food they had and took a sip of the desalinated water they had taken from the river. They were feeling hungry all the time now and worst yet, all their companions had fallen to hunger as well. They had taken strips of brown fur for sleeves and had used the bones to make a tent on the side of a building. Taking their food from the boiling vat, they ate up and could only satisfy a little but of their hunger. They missed their companions so much. Without them now, they realized they had become a part of the pack. They were one of the wolves no doubt. Feeling exhausted, they started to drift off a little and were about to fall asleep, but then in the distance they heard a warping sound. Alyster got to their feet and ran out of the meadow into the deserted lot, seeing two figures in the distance, one entirely black and the other was similar but with a white shirt. Finally, Alyster thought, people! Before they could get any closer, the two dropped to the ground. Running to their sides, they realized they were more than human, they were heroes! They had seen them on TV before, back when they were a journalist. Using what strength they had left, they dragged them to their shelter. They were going to leave and get more food and water, but Alyster didn't want them to wake and run away. They might never see them again. They tied them up, gave them a small bit of water, and then left. They returned just in time to see them wake.

"What's going on here?!" The one in white asked. "Excuse me, whatever your name is, can you tell us where we are?"

"Or better yet, untie us?" The one in black asked.

"I found you passed out in the desert!" Alyster replied.

"Who are you?" The man in black asked.

Proudly, Alyster said "I'm the White Wolf."

 _The rest of Alyster's story is continued in the Illusionist Two from Spectrum Productions._


End file.
